You Can Do It, Kitchen Edition: Oven Roasted Chicken
It’s You Can Do It Week over on Fit Bottomed Girls! And while the content over there is all about revving you up for your next workout, here on Eats we want to make sure you are getting the right kind of nutrition to power you through your next challenge.
Protein is a necessity for building muscle and you can’t go wrong with good ol’ chicken. Compared to other protein sources, it’s inexpensive, lean and pretty dang versatile. You can butcher that bird or pop the whole thing in the oven and feast on roasted chicken for a couple of meals.
The secret to a moist, oven-roasted bird is in the trussing. Tying the wings and legs close to the body will protect the breast and ensure even cooking (light meat cooks faster than dark). This simple technique takes only a couple of minutes and once mastered will become your favorite “slam bam thank you ma’am” healthy chicken recipe.
Start with three to four pound bird. Rinse the chicken and dry it with a paper towel inside and out. Generously salt and pepper the cavity and get ready to truss. Cut a length of butcher’s twine three feet or longer (better to have excess than not enough).
Place chicken on cutting board, breast side up with legs facing your body. Tuck the wings underneath the bird to fold closed. Cut a length of butcher’s twine three feet or longer (better to have excess than not enough). Place the string underneath the tail.
Cross the strings over the legs and then loop the string around each leg and pull tight.
Pull the strings to bring the legs close together.
Pull the strings back over the tops of the legs and flip the bird over and upside down. (The chicken is now breast side down and the legs are facing away from you.)
Pull the string tight and knot. Cut off excess string.
Set chicken in roasting pan, breast side up and get ready to roast.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees and liberally salt the bird. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the meat registers 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. Remove from the oven, baste with the juices from the pan and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Cut the strings and dig in!
No butcher’s twine in the house? Use unflavored dental floss instead! —Karen